Mechanical vender.



No. 733,845. PATENTED JULY 14, 1903.

' L. H. JENNINGS.

MECHANICAL VENDER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 1902.

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No. 733,845. PATENTED JULY 14, 1903. L. H. JENNINGS.

MECHANICAL VENDER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 1902. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES Patented .iiuiy 14, 1903.

PATENT OF ICE.

LOUIS H. JENNINGS, OF HOMESTEAD, PENNSYLVANIA.

MECHANICAL VENDER.

SPECIFICATION forining part of Letters Patent No. 733,845, dated. July 14, 1903;

Application filed June 26,1902.

To all whom it may concern.-

, Be it known that 1, LOUIS H. JENNINGS, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the borough of Homestead, county of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Venders, of which the following is a specification.

In the drawings which make part of the specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of my device, illustrating in dotted lines my spring-pin mechanism, the coin-slot, and the shelves or compartments. Fig. 3 is a broken detail of the same, and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section along the line IV IV in Fig. 3.

Myinvention, briefly stated, consists in certain new and useful improvements in coinactuated mechanical vendors or slot-inachines wherein the size rather than the weight of the actuating-coin is taken advantage of as the operative means.

The following is a detailed description of my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings:

1 is a cabinet constructed of any suitable material, preferably metal for the sake of strength, and fitted with a series of shelves or apartments, horizontally placed, 2 2, which shelves are spaced apart from center to center a distance equal to the diameter of a penny or whatever coin is to be used to operate the machine. Attached tosaid cabinet or made integral therewith is portion 3,in which is contained the coin-slot and spring-pin mechanism described below.

4 is avertically-sliding cover or door, whose edges engage slots 5 and 5 in portion 3 and cabinet 1, respectively.

6 6 are a series of pins having their heads preferably squared and seated in seats 7 7 in portion 3, these seats 7 7 being the same distance apart from center to center as areshelves 2 2. The forward portions of said seats 7 7 are countersunk, as is more clearly shown in Fig. 3,-and spiral springs 8 8 are mounted on the shanks ofpins 6 6, bearing against the heads of said pins and the inner extremities of the countersinkings in seats 7 7, the tend ency of said springs being to force outward Serial No. 113.219. (No model.)

the heads of pins 6 6, so as to extend into vertical slot 5 in portion 3, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, but said countersinkings allowing the heads of said pins to retreat into their seats 7 7 when said springs are compressed.

9 is a vertical slot in portion 3 of such size that a penny will pass through it freely, but at the same time fit sn ugly. In the drawings, Fig. 4:, I have shown this slot constructed by forming a vertical groove in portion 3 and fixing in front thereof metal plate 10 asan inexpensive mode of construction; but, if desired, said slot may be cut down through portion 3 entirely, or a glass plate may be substituted for the metal plate 10. Seats 7 7 are enlarged horizontally near their rear and open into slot 9, as shown in Fig. 4t. In these enlarged portions of seats 7 7 are cross-heads 11 11 on pins 6 6, Which cross-heads extend on both sides of said pins to insure steadiness of movement. When the head of a pin 6 extends into slot 5, its respective cross-head 11 likewise advances, and one extremity thereof occupies a position in slot 9 to theright of the center thereof. The edge of cover 4 which engages slot-5 in portion 3 is cut away near the top to form shoulder 12, said shoulder being so situated that when the cover is in place closing all the shelves, as in Fig. 2, the first or top pin 6, being forced out into slot 5 by its spiral spring 8, engages the under side of shoulder 12 and locks the cover in position. As will be readily seen, the other pins 6 6 will at this time be compressed back into their seats by the edge of cover 4 occupying slot 5, except in the case of the second pin 6, the recess or portion of the edge of cover 4, cut away to form shoulder 12, being extended down far enough to permit the pin just below the pin engaging the shoulder 12 at the time to extend out into slot 5.

Portion 3 is extended above the cabinet proper, and therein is contained slot 13, a vertical extension of slot 9, and also a second slot 14 for the reception of the coin, joining slot 9 at an angle. Seated in slot 13 is plunger 15, Whose movement is limited bypin 16 thereon, which engages slot 17 in the side of slot 13.

18 is a spring-lever attached at one end to ICO portion 3 and provided with a slotted connection 19 to plunger 15.

20 is a coin box 'or drawer of any suitable design attached to portion 3 at the lower extremity of slot 9, into which the coins drop when released from slot 9, as hereinafter explained.

21 is a rib on the bottom of door 4.

The operation of myinvention is as follows: On each of the shelves 2 2 is placed an article to be vended, such as a newspaper properly folded, and the cover 4 is then slid down with its edges engaging slots 5 and 5 until all the shelves are closed and the articles for sale protected. As has been explained, when the cover is in this position the first or top pin 6 engages the under side of shoulder 12 on cover 4, locking the cover in position and preventing its falling through gravity and exposing the contents of shelves 2 2. A penny is now dropped into slot 14, sliding down until it enters slot 9, where its further progress is preventedby cross-head 11 on first pin 6,

- which, owing to the fact that said pin is now extending into slot 5 and engaging shoulder 12 on door 4, now occupies a position in slot 9 as shown in Fig. 4. By means of handle ver 18 plunger 15 is now depressed, forcing the penny downward past said cross-head 11 and forcing said cross-head to the right out of slot 9, and thus drawing first pin 6 back into its seat 7 out of slot 5 and engagement with said shoulder 12 on door 4. This leaves door 4 without support, and it therefore falls, exposing the top shelf and enabling the removal of the contents thereof. falls through gravity until the head of the second pin 6 engages shoulder 12 on door 4 and locks said door in position, all the shelves being closed except the top shelf, from which the contents have been removed. The pin 16 on plunger 17 prevents the movement of said plunger beyond that necessary to force the penny down until it rests on the crosshead 11 of second pin 6 a distance equal to the diameter of a penny. Plunger 15 when released is at once drawn back to its original position by the action of spring-lever 18. To release the cover, so it will drop, exposing the second shelf and permitting the removal of its contents, a second penny is dropped through slot 14 into slot 9 and rests on first cross-head 11, top pin 6 having sprung forward after the passage of the door, so that its head extends once more into slot 5 and its cross-head into slot 9, as described. The second penny will also rest on the top edge of the first penny, cross-head 11 being sulficiently to the right of the center of slot 9 to permit the same. The snug fit of slot 9 prevents the second penny slipping by or overlapping the first penny, so when the second penny is forced down by plunger 15 a distance equal to the diameter of a penny, as explained, said second penny will force downward before it said first penny, causing said The cover first penny to push aside second cross-head 11, on which it had been resting, and thus to draw in the head of second pin 6 from slot 5 and out of engagement with shoulder 12 on door 4, allowing said door to drop, exposing the second shelf for the removal of its contents. The door or cover 4 will fall until the third pin 6, which while second pin 6 has been supporting cover 4 by engaging shoulder 12 has been extending out into the recess below said shoulder, comes in contact with said shoulder and locks said cover in position, so that all the shelves except the first two are closed. In the movement just described, in the meanwhile, in descending the second penny has pushed aside the first cross-head 11, on which it rested, and has assumed the position just vacated by the first penny on cross-head 11 of the second pin 6. To open the third shelf, a third penny is introduced in slot 14, as before, and slides down slots 14 and 9 until it rests on first cross-head 11 and the topedge of the second penny, which in turn rests on the second cross-head 11 and the top edge of the first penny. The descending plunger now forces the third penny a distance equal to its own diameter, which in turn forces the second penny a like distance downward, which in turn forces the first penny a corresponding distance down past third cross-head 11, on which said first penny has been resting, until said first penny now rests on the fourth cross-head 11. As the first pennyis forced past the third crosshead this cross-head is forced to the right out of slot 9, which movement draws third pin 6 out of slot 5 and engagement with shoulder 12 on cover 4, allowing said cover to drop until shoulder 12 is engaged by fourth pin 6, again locking the cover in position, so that all the shelves are closed except the first three. Now the first penny rests on the fourth crosshead, the second penny on the third crosshead, and the third penny on the second cross-head. The opening of the succeeding shelves in turn is accomplished by the introduction of additional pennies and a repetition of the above-described process,said first penny in its journey down the slot, as additional pennies are introduced at the top, releasing in each case the pin holding the cover and exposing the corresponding shelf. By making the recess by which shoulder 12 on cover 4 is formed extend down far enough so as to permit the heads of at least two pins to extend out into the recess at one and the same time, the upper pin engaging shoulder 12 on the cover and the lower pin extending into slot 5 ready to engage such shoulder when the upper pin is withdrawn and the cover falls, the danger that the lower pin would not spring out in time to catch the falling cover is averted, as the pin is already extended in proper position, while the pin above is supporting the cover. When all the shelves have been opened, as described, and their contents removed, a column of pennies corresponding in number less one to the shelves opened occupies the coin-slot, each penny resting on a cross-head and the penny just below, except in case of the first penny, which after pushing back the lowest cross-head falls into the coin-box 20. To remove these pennies, it will therefore be necessary to push back the crossheads outof slot 9, so that the pennies may fall unhindered into the coin-box. To effect this, I provide rib 21, extending downward from cover 4 and of such length that the distance from the lower end of such rib to the lower end of the recess forming shoulder 12 is slightly greater than the length of the cover proper. I make this rib in the same vertical plane as the edge surface of said cover sliding in slot 5, so that said rib may slide down said slot in the same manner as the edge of said cover. I now remove the cover from the cabinet, it having descended so that all the shelves are exposed, as above described, and having reloaded the shelves, if it be desired to continue the cabinetin service, I replace the cover, sliding the edges into slots 5 and 5 rib 21 being of course inserted first into slot 5. As the rib descends slot 5 in advance of the edge of cover 4, it will of course push back into their respective seats 7 7 the pins 6 6, the lower extremity of the face of said rib being slightly beveled, as in Fig. 2, that it may push the pins back without catching thereon, and when the lower extremity of said rib reaches and presses back the lowest or last pin 6 all of the pins will be forced back into their respective seats out of slot 5 at one and the same time, because, owing to the length of the rib, the recess on the edge of the cover has not yet reached and engaged the top pin 6, allowing it to spring out into slot 5. The pressing back of the pins of course entails the retirement of the corresponding cross-heads from slot 9, thus allowing the. column of pennies to fall unhindered into the coin-box 20. Now by forcing the cover on down until the shoulder 12 on door 4 is engaged by the first or top pin 6 the cover assumes the position first described, and illustrated in Fig. 2,closing all the shelves, and the cabinet is ready for use once more.

It will be readily seen that while I have described'my invention as operated by the use of a penny by varying the size of the slot'9, the distances between the shelves, and also the spring-pins, together with the range of movement of the plunger,I can accommodate my cabinet for operation by any-sized coin desired, thus allowing the sale of articles of greater value than a penny. Where an article of a value of two cents, such as certain newspapers, is to be sold, I place one of the articles on the second shelf of the cabinet and every second shelf below, leaving the first and pennies would have to be forced down slot 9 in turn, as above described, before the second shelf would be exposed, and to expose the fourth shelf, where the next article would be found, the third shelf would first have to be exposed by the use of a penny and then another penny would be required to open the fourth shelf, and so on, it requiring in each case two pennies to open the next loaded shelf or compartment. Articles of the value of three or four cents can be sold by loading every third or fourth shelf in like manner.

From the above description it is evident that my invention is possessed of many novel andmeritorious features and is of extremely simple and cheap constructien, doing away with the complex, expensive, and delicate mechanisms necessary to operate that class of coin-actuated machines wherein the weight instead of the size of the coin'is utilized to operate the machine. Its simple construction and few parts enable great strength to be olotained in manufacture, insuring durability and ease of maintenance. I have, for the sake of clearness, shown my invention applied to the sale of papers and other large articles; but by varying the size, shape, and

number of the shelves or compartments the cabinet can be used for the sale of articles of any character. In the case of newspapers a number of cabinets may be grouped together, each with its own coin-controlling mechanism and each containing the issues of the pa-' of a cabinet; horizontal shelves in said cabinet; a vertically-sliding door adapted to close said cabinet; a shoulder on said door; a

spring-pin, corresponding to each shelf,

mounted in said cabinet and adapted in turn to engage said shoulder and lock said door in place; a coin-slot, and means whereby the passage of a coin along said slot releases said pins in turn from engagement with said shoulder.

2. In mechanical venders, the combination of a cabinet; horizontal shelves in said cabinet; a Vertically-sliding door adapted to close said cabinet; a shoulder on said door; a spring pin, corresponding to each shelf, mounted in said cabinet; and adapted to in turn engagesaid shoulder; acoin-slot; projections on said pins adapted to extend into said coin-slot whereby the passage of a coin in said coin-slot withdraws said pinsin turn from ongagement with said shoulder.

3. In mechanical venders, the combination of a cabinet; a sliding door adapted to close said cabinet; horizontal shelves in said cabinet; aspring-pin,corresponding to each shelf, mounted in said cabinet and adapted as the door descends to in turn engage said shoulder; 2:. coin-slot; projections on said pins ex- Signed by me at Pitbsburg, Pennsylvania, tending into said slob when their respective this 18th day of June, 1902. pins are in turn in engagement with said LOUIS H JENNINGS shoulder whereby the passage of a coin in said slot withdraws said pins in turn from Witnesses: engagement with said shoulder by forcing CHAS. G. BEALE, said projections aside. EMELINE BUTTER. 

